High Praise for the “Worry Doll” by Matt Coyle

By John Freeman on January 8, 2007

(With thanks to Liam Sharp): The Daily Telegraph has published in interview with Matt Coyle, creator of the forthcoming graphic novel from UK publisher Mam Tor, Worry Doll.

The book is a noir story about three dolls who discover the horrific murder of their “host” family in the living room. The story’s point of view appears to belong to the dolls, but, as things progress, it emerges that it actually belongs to a man. The dolls, his cherished belongings, are carried around in a suitcase, and brought out into the open to bear witness to his crimes.

Each of the 33 drawings in Worry Doll – described by the Telegraph as “groundbreaking” — took Coyle months to complete. Most people who see them for the first time have to be persuaded that they are drawings.

“The imagery in Worry Doll is so far ahead of anything out there in terms of visual sophistication that it suggests a new way forward for the genre – maybe a new genre altogether,” the article suggests.

“In a perfect world of graphic novel publishing, I’d publish these images without any words,” Coyle, who lives in Hobart, Tasmania, reveals.

• Nightmare world at the tip of his pen
Graphic novelist Matt Coyle tells Sebastian Smee about the obsessive craft behind his dark new book. Read the interview

• A preview of the book is available from MamTor

•Worry Doll will be published by MamTor in February

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.